It is only natural that a legend continues to dazzle. Ever since he won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2014, Kyle Larson has been an enigma in NASCAR. No matter what track layout he visits, the Hendrick Motorsports phenom seems to rein it under his control. Larson was a trailblazer during the 2024 Cup Series season, picking up 6 victories. However, his dominance did not cease there.
As the co-owner of the High Limit Racing series with his brother-in-law Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson tasted an international Sprint Car racing experience. In the process, he rekindled his passion for racing, which originated during his dirt racing days. It just reminded us of how versatile Larson is despite the hurdles.
Kyle Larson admits to his specialty
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Well, the legendary racer’s versatility was most visible in 2021. Kyle Larson won 29 races in 87 starts during that season, including 10 Cup races on his way to the 2021 Cup Series Championship. Among those 29 wins, he was victorious on four different track layouts – dirt oval, paved oval, road course, and ROVAL. Then he also fetched victories in four different racing divisions: NASCAR Cup Series, Sprint Cars, Midgets, and Dirt Late Models. This superior motorsports capability was visible to a USAC series official during Larson’s teenage years when he raced open-wheel cars. It was then the official gave Larson the ‘Yung Money’ tag, as a mark of respect for his adaptability to any racetrack. However, that adaptability does come at a cost, which Larson elaborated on after his trip ‘Down Under’.
Kyle Larson is open about how tough it can get considering how much he races in a year. But what separates him from the pack is his unfiltered, true love for racing. The HLR co-owner strapped into a Sprint Car at Perth Motorplex, at Kwinana Beach, Western Australia recently. After starting the race in the 6th row, Larson clinched the 4th spot. He said after the race: “I just love racing… I race 80 to 90 times a year, and race full-time in NASCAR.”
Then Yung Money humbly admitted: “It’s difficult.” But he also topped it off with how he handles it: “It definitely wears on you at times throughout the summer, when you’re racing almost every day of the week and traveling a lot. But it’s what I do. I’m a professional race car driver, so it’s how I make my living. And yeah, it’s just a lot of fun.”
Kyle Larson‘s brilliance on the other side of the globe came as no surprise. His sprint car racing resume is as golden as it gets – in 2021, he won the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the second time. He is a former winner of Knoxville Nationals, and his Australian counterparts named him the ‘Hard Charger.’ Larson himself hailed his new experience: “It was really, really fun. That was a highlight for sure, just getting to throw cool slide jobs almost every corner and all that.” Larson also found a similarity: “I thought it was a lot like Vado(Speedway Park) in New Mexico and it’s almost identical to it. Vado is another amazing facility and Perth is really cool.”
Not only is Larson paving the path for his excellence, but for his series as well.
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Meticulous effort went into it
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Well, when Shane van Gisbergen decided to come to NASCAR, it took quite some time to work everything out. Similarly, Kyle Larson’s ambition to compete in the $100,000-to-win “High Limit International: Perth” event on December 28-30 at Perth Motorplex had to be worked upon. The Kubota High Limit Racing Series had just completed its first year on U.S. soil. And Larson was ready to take several of its regular drivers ‘Down Under’ to take on Australia’s top pilots in a three-night ‘High Limit International’ event. It culminated with a $100,000-to-win show. The plan fell right in place with Larson and Brad Sweet‘s plans to expand HLR.
They were looking to expand their fanbase and their brand to other parts of the world. Kyle Larson’s Australian plan kicked off a year ago with a post on X asking how they might get there to race. He took the help of his Perth counterparts to haul the equipment. Overall, he harbored a lot of anticipation for the event. “I’ve been wanting to get here for quite a while now, so I’m happy to be here. The facility is amazing. This is one of the nicest tracks that I’ve gotten to race at, and I’ve raced at a few hundred different tracks. It’s really, really neat and the racing is great too.”
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Evidently, Kyle Larson is growing wings and giving wings to his series too. As the 2025 season rolls around, we cannot wait to see what the phenom may accomplish next.
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